Address printing machine



/ J. KRELL ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE Aug. 31, 1937.

Filed Aug. 21, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l imam/0r: J Hve l) Aug. 31, 1937.

J. KRELL ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1956 Aug. 31, 1937, J. KRELL 2,091,761

ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 inremar J Kre ll 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jwen/af J Rm; 1 I

J. KRELL ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE Aug 31, 1937 Filed Aug 21, 1936 I v Q1 rwll filmmin a mw q AAAAAAAAAA Patented Aug. 31, 1937 Joseph Krell, .Berlin-Zehlendorf, Germany Application August 21, 1936, Serial No. 97,253 In Germany August 24, 1935 Claims.

Address-printing machines are known per se having electro-magnetic selecting means for printing plates furnished with selection saddles, wherein saddle pieces provided on the printing 5 plates co-operate with feeling pins or levers of a multiple selection switch.

An address-printing machine having electromagnetic selecting means in accordance with the inventiondiilers from the known address-printing machines of this description by reason of its particularly convenient and simple design. Thus, for example, it isan important feature associated with the invention that the multiple selection switch does not perform any movement as a Whole, but remains stationary, and merely the feeling pins adapted to co-operate with the saddle pieces on the printing plates are arranged to be shiftable in a vertical direction. It isalso an important feature of the invention that all of the feeling pins arranged to beshiftable in the multiple selection switch and pressed continuously upwards by means of springs are maintained upon each selection operation for suchlength of time by means of a common looking device in the downwardly displaced position, which ensures the .closed positions of the single selection switches, until a new printing plate has reached the selected position, so that this printing plate does not move into contact with the feelingpins upon its advance movementtand the feeling pins are also not displaced by the saddle pieces on the printing plate as the latter moves into the selected position. The upward displacement of the feeling pins into the feeling position takes place by reason of the fact that after completed advance of a new printing plate into the selected position the common locking means for the feeling pins are disengaged for a certain length of time by the gear of the address-printing machine, in consequence of which the feeling pins, which are not retained in their downwardly displaced positions by saddle pieces on the printing plate located in the selected position, move, with opening of the corresponding selection switches, into the upper position, from which, upon the return movement, incidental to,

switch in the manner known per se, which main switch, through the medium of the gear of the address-printing machine, is only closed upon or shortly prior to the printing arm reaching the upper position or the operating lever for the 5 printing arm reaching a corresponding position, and is again opened shortly after commencement of the downward'movement of the printing arm or return movement of the operating lever for the printing arm, the opening and closing of the selection switchesin the case of an address-printing machine according to the invention takes place without current, which re sults in a considerable saving of the contacts of the selection switches.

The multiple selection switch provided in an address-printing machine according to the invention is of very simple and durable construction, the same being composed of a series of adjacently disposed selection switches consisting of contact springs, which bear resiliently against fixed contact pins so long as the feeling pins are in their lower position and are lifted from the contact pins by abutments on the feeding pins when the latter move upwards. 25

The multiple selection switch of an addressprinting machine according to the invention is also constructed in such fashion that above the single selection switches in the casing of the multiple selection switch there is rotatably mounted a shaft, which extends, transversely to the contact springs and has secured thereto a plate engaging over the abutments of all feeling pins, which plate maintains the feeling pins in v their lower positions under the action of a powerful spring, for such time until they are rotated by a lever mechanism, which is displaced by the fact that there moves against the lever mechanism an abutment of the operating lever mechanismfor the advancing mechanism of the printing plates before there has been reached the extreme position of the printing arm operating lever corresponding with the downwardly rocked position of the printing arm.

The printing arm itself in an address-printing machine according to the invention remains in its upper position when a printing plate is skipped and receives its operation by way of an operating lever, which is likewise capable of being rocked about its axis and is continuously reciprocated by the gear of the address-printing machine, there being mounted on the said operating lever so asto be shiftable parallel to the, common axis of rotation of the operating lever and the printing arm a coupling bolt which on each occasion when the operating lever moves into a position corresponding with the upper position of the printing arm is situated opposite the coupling opening in the printing arm and moves into engagement with a lever retaining it in the disengaged position so far as this lever has not already been rocked previously out of its initial position, which always occurs through the medium of a spring-controlled lever mechanism when the control electro-magnet of the selection device of the address-printing machine has been excited. The latter condition is always reached when the printing plate located at the selection position is one which is to be used for the printing operation.

A possible form of embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings as applied to an addressprinting machine in which the printing plates are conducted successively through the addressprinting machine in their longitudinal direction.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the address-printing machine with the printing arm in the upper position and the parts of the selecting device in the position which they assume when the print ing plate located at the printing point is one which is to be skipped.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly along the line IIII in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section corresponding to Fig. 2 showing the parts in the position they assume one-half of a working stroke later.

Fig. 4 is a part view in plan of the addressprinting machine according to Fig. 1 with down wardly rocked printing arm and the parts of the selecting device in the position they assume when the printing plate to be advance-d to the printing point has been printed.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view partly in section taken along the line VV in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front View of the multiple selection switch, whilst Figs. '7 and 8 are sections through the multiple selection switch along the line VII-VII in Fig. 6 in two different positions.

In the drawings l is the table of the addressprinting machine. In the table there is provided in the known fashion a slideway 2 for the address plates 3, which are conducted intermittently one after the other in their longitudinal direction from a container or magazine 4 through the slideway 2 to the printing point 5. For intermittent advance of the printing plates 3 in the direction of the arrow 6 there is employed in the known fashion a slide 7!, which receives its reciprocatory motion from the gear of the address-printing machine through the medium of the connecting rod 8 and the lever 9, which is capable of rocking about the pin 9a, by way of the connecting rod Ill.

The printing arm H of the address-printing machine, which carries the printing pad I2, is mounted to rock about the pin I3 and possesses an extension II which reaches downwards beyond the pin l3. Adjacent the printing arm H there is mounted to rock about the same pin iii an operating lever M for the printing arm which, through the medium of a connecting rod I5, is reciprocated continuously about the pin I3 by the gear of the address-printing machine.

As shown particularly clearly in Fig. 4, there is mounted in the operating lever M so as to be shiftable in its longitudinal direction a coupling bolt l6, which a spring ll tends to press continuously against the part II of the printing in section arm II, in which part II there is provided a lateral boring l8 which is engaged by the coupling bolt l6 when the operating lever 14 is to be coupled with the printing arm H, H.

In an abutment E9 of the table l of the address-printing machine there is pivotally mounted a lever 28, which possesses a wedge-shaped or bevelled end and which a spring 2| tends to maintain in or return into the position shown in Fig. 3. About the fulcrurn' 22 of the lever 20 there is mounted a second lever 23 which is engage-d by a connecting rod 24, and there is also mounted about 22 in fixed manner a third lever 25, the object of which will be explained later.

The connecting rod 24 leads to a three-armed lever 26, which is pivoted in the frame of the machine about a pin 21 and which a spring 28 tends continuously to rock into the position shown in Fig. 4.

With the one arm 26 of the lever 26 there cooperates the armature 3! of the control electromagnet 3|, which armature is rotatable about the pin 29 and which a spring 32 tends continuously to maintain in the position according to Fig. 1.

The multiple selection switch A is located below the table I of the address-printing machine at the point assumed by the printing plates before they are advanced into the printing position 5. The multiple selection switch A possesses a plurality of adjacently disposed selection switches each consisting of a fixed contact pin 34 secured to the base plate 33 of the multiple selection switch and a contact spring 35 which tends to bear continuously with its front end against the contact pin 34 and thus close the switch. The contact springs 35 are likewise secured to the base plate 33 of the multiple selection switch A.

In front of each contact spring 35 there is provided a feeling pin 37, which is arranged to be shiftable in a vertical direction in the base plate 33 and the screwed on cover cap 36 of the multiple selection switch casing. Each feeling pin 3! possesses an abutment 38 composed of insulating material, with which it engages below the contact spring 35 of the appertaining single selection switch. Springs 39 coiled about the lower ends of the feeling pins 31 tend continuously to displace the feeling pins 3'! upwards into the position shown in Fig. 8. The upper ends 31 of the feeling pins 37 extend through apertures in the table l of the address-printing machine into the slideway 2 for the printing plates.

The feeling pins 31 are held normally in their downwardly displaced position corresponding to Fig. 7 by a plate ll). The plate it is mounted on a shaft 4!, which extends transversely through the portion 36 of the multiple selection switch casing and on which there is provided an arm 42, preferably outside of the multiple selection switch. The arm i2 is connected by means of a cross-pin 53, which engages in an elongated aperture, with a connecting rod 44, which tends continuously to hold a spring 45 in the position shown in Fig. 2, the locking plate lii assuming the position according to Fig. 7.

The end of the connecting rod 44 situated opposite the point of engagement of the spring 45 is pivotally connected with a double lever it, 41, which is rotatable about a vertical pin 48 in the frame of the machine (Fig. 1).

The arm 47! of the rocking'lever 4-6, 4? is located in the path of an adjustment screw carried by an abutment 49 of the lever 9, i. e., in the path of a part-of theadvancinggear for the slide 1 (Fig. 1).

There also belongslto the selection device of the address-printing machine a main switch 5|, which maybe .composed'of two' contact springs andis normally :open in .accordance with Fig 1. The main switch 5|, which is disposed in. the circuit of the control ielectro-magnet 3!, is closed by a lever 52, which is "mounted torock in the frametof the machine, when-an abutment 53 provided on the slide moves upon the return movement of the slide out of the position according to Fig. 1 into that according'tio Fig. 4 against a roller 54 carried .by the lever 52.. A spring 55tendscontinuously'to withdraw. the lever '52 into the position in Fig. 1, in which the main switch 5! is open.

In Fig. 1 there is also shown a hand switch 56 of the known kind, which comprises just as many button switches as :there are single selection switches in the multiple selection switch.

The operation of the described selection device as applied to an address-printing machine is as follows, it being assumed, for example, that the printing plates 3 may be furnished with selection saddles 51 at twelve different points, as a result of which the multiple selection switch also contains twelve single selection switches and the hand switch 56 in the case of a simple selection device likewise twelve single switches.

There are then selected in the known fashion by means of the hand switch 56- the group or groups of printing plates which are to be employed for printing upon passage through the printing machine of the stack of printing'plates in the magazine 4,-'only those printing plates being employed for printing purposes which close the selection switches corresponding with the engaged button switches of the hand switch 56.

The adjustment of the printing machine to printing or non-printingof each plate takes place after the printing plates have reachedthe position in front of the printing point 5'.

If it is assumed that the printing plate 3 which has been advanced into the printing position 5 in Fig. 2 is one which is not'to be employed, the parts of theaddress-printing machine assume after the advance of the plate 3 into the printing position 5 the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In this connection the rod 24 in particular assumes the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which it holds the lever 20 in the upwardly rocked position accordingto Fig. 2. In this position the lever 20 engages with its bevelled end, with up- 1 wardly rocked printing arm H and corresponding angular'position of the printing arm operating lever, in the coupling bolt '86, holds this back in the operating lever t4 and prevents thecoupling bolt 116 from entering the coup ling'opening IS in the printing'armextension ll If now the-continuously rocked operating lever I4 is movedby the gear of the machine through the medium of the rod I5 in the direction of the arrow 58 out of the position according to Fig.2, the printing arm ll, owing'to the location of the couplingbolt I16 in'the leve'r l4 of the printing arm "I I as described, .cannot be moved together therewith but remains in its upper position corresponding withFig. 2, andin this wayzno print is made'from the .plate situated at the printing position.

Upon therocking of the lever l4-in'the direction of the arrow 58 the slide 1' is moved backwards by'means ofan operating lever mechanism.

8, 9, ll] :out of the positionaccording to Fig. 1

wards the rear, in which it is raised to a certain extent. from'the. stack of plates in the magazine 4, it closes the main switch 5| (see' Fig. 4). Before, however, it closes the main switch 51 by the abutment :53 the adjustment screw 50 on the arm 49 of then-slide lever mechanism' meets against the arm4'i of the double lever 46, 4'! and there occurs a displacement of the rod 44 out of the position according'to Fig. l. or Fig. 2 or Fig. '7 in the direction of the arrow 58, in oppositionto the spring 45, into the position according to Fig. 4, Fig.3 orFig. 8. Injconsequenceof this the plate 40in the multiple selection switch is rocked upwards out of the position according to Fig. 7 into that according to Fig. 8, and the feeling pins iii are accordingly released and then attempt to move the springs 39 .upwards. By means of the abutments 38 the corresponding contactsprings 35 are then lifted from the contact pins 34 by the upwardly'moved feeling pins 31, andmerel-y the contact springor springs 35 remain inthe closed position according to Fig. 7 inthe case of which the appertaining feeling pins 31 are prevented from'moving upwards by the fact that they meet against saddle pieces 51 on the printing plate 3' now situated in the position of selection.

If now this printing plate which is situated in the position of selection above themulti-ple selection switch A is one which is also not to be used for printing purposes, the main switch'5lwill certainly be closed upon the return movement of the slide 7 into the position according to, Fig. 4, but the circuit by way of the control;electro-, magnet 3i remains broken, as the selection switch 35, 34 appertaining tothe depressed hand switch 56 is not" closed, whichtwo switchesin the known; fashion are also included in the .circuitiwhich' includes the 'electro-magnet13;l

The lever mechanism 30,26, 24, 2 3ifor the control of the lever 20 accordinglylretains it position shown in Fig. 1, and-in consequence the lever. 20 also remains in thepositionpaccording to Fig. 2; I x

' If, therefore, the lever l'4now swings out of the,

rearwardly rocked position (in the direction of and cannot, therefore, snap into the, boring l8 in the printing arm 'H. The-parts of the apparatus accordingly again assume the position shown in'Fig; 2, and in consequence printing is also not effected by the new printing p1ate'3' which has movedinto the printing position, which conforms to the above assumption.

If on the other hand the printing plate 3 which-follows the plate 3 not to be employed is one which' is to be zusedsfor printingth'e circuit passing through the control electr c-magnet 31 is closed upon the returnmovement of the slide out of the positionaccording to Fig. ,1 into that in Fig. 4 bythe main switch 5| and by the fact that the selection switch35, .34 in thecircuit of the depressed handi-switch '56 also remains closed upon the rocking .of the plate.4l] in'the selection switch out ofhthe position according to Fig. .7 into'that according to Fig.':;8.. The electro-magnet 3i. accordingly attracts its aarmature .30 .out of 4, in consequence of which the lever 26 is rotated under the action of the spring 28 and moves the rod 24 out of the position according to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrow 59 into that according to Fig. 3 or Fig. 4, which causes the lever to be rocked out of the position according to Fig. 2 into that shown in Fig. 3.

The parts of the apparatus accordingly assume in this case upon the return oscillation of the lever Hi the position shown in Fig. 3.

If the lever I4 is now again returned out of the position according to Fig. 3 into that shown in full lines in Fig. 5, whereby the slide 1 again advances out of the position according to Fig. 4 into the position according to Fig. 1, the coupling bolt [6, when the extreme position shown in Fig. 5 has been reached, snaps under the action of its spring I! into the opening l8 in the printing arm extension so that the operating lever l4 and the printing arm I l are now coupled together.

Upon the advance of the slide 1 into the position according to Fig. 1 the printing plate 3 has been moved up to the printing point 5. Upon the return oscillation of the operating lever I4 which now takes place the printing arm H, as indicated in dash-dotted lines in Fig. 5, is also moved and, in the desired manner, printing is effected with the plate 3 which has been advanced up to the printing point.

Upon each return movement of the slide 1 out of the position according to Fig. 1 into that shown in Fig. 4 a pin 60 mounted on the rod 8 strikes at the last moment when the slide 1 reaches the extreme position towards the rear against the arm of the pin 22, as indicated in Fig. 3, as a result of which at this moment the lever 20 is rocked back out of the position according to Fig. 3 into that according to Fig. 2 or that shown in dash-dotted lines in Fig. 5.

If now, as just assumed, the printing plate situated at this moment at the point of selection is one which is to be employed for printing purposes after its advance up to the printing point, the pin 60 striking against the arm 25 merely results in a momentary rotation of the lever 20 out of the position according to Fig. 3 into that in Fig. 2, the control electro-magnet 3| being excited at this moment and also remaining excited for such time until immediately after commencement of the new forward movement of the slide 1 out of the position in Fig. 4 into that according to Fig. 1 the pin 60 again moves away from the lever 25. In consequence immediately after the pin 60 has again left the lever 25 the lever 20 is rocked downwards by the spring 28 through the medium of the lever mechanism 26, 24, 23 and, as explained above, printing takes place with the selected plate 3' which has advanced up to the printing position. a

If, however, the printing plate situated above the point of selection at the moment at which the pin 60 on the rod 8 strikes against the arm 25 is one which is not desired for printing purposes, the lever 20, which has been rocked out of the position in Fig. 2 into that according to Fig. 3 for printing with the preceding plate, is.

likewise again rocked upwards into the dashdotted position in Fig. 5, but then remains in this upper position, the control electro-magnet 3| in this case no longer being excited and in consequence the armature 30 being withdrawn by the spring 32 into the position according to Fig. 1 immediately'after the lever 26, when the pin strikes against the arm 25, is rocked by the lever 20 out of its position of engagement with the armature 30 in accordance with Fig. 4 into the position shown in Fig. 1.

In the non-attracted position (Fig. 1) the armature 30 prevents the return movement of the lever 26 into the position according to Fig. 4, and accordingly the downward movement of the lever 20, viz., for such time until it is again attracted by the excited electro-magnet 3|.

If with the lever 2|] rocked into the upper position the lever I4 upon its rocking movement with the arm out of the dash-dotted position in Fig. 5 again moves into the position according to Fig. 2, the coupling bolt |6 moves with its recess against the lever 20, and. this causes the coupling bolt Hi to be withdrawn from the extension H of the printing arm, and the parts of the apparatus again assume the position according to Fig. 2, so that, as described in the above the printing arm upon the following rocking movement of the lever I4 in the direction of the arrow 58 is not likewise moved and in consequence printing does not take place with the printing plate which has advanced from the position of selection into the printing position but which it is not desired to employ for printing purposes.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a printing machine having printing mechanism including a printing arm, a lever for operating said arm and means for actuating said lever, means for feeding printing plates equipped with selection saddles past the point of contact of said printing arm, an electro-magnetic selection device including a plurality of manually operable individual selection switches for selecting the particular plate to be printed, a main switch under the control of said printing mechanism, and a multiple selection switch also under the control of said printing mechanism, circuits connecting said electro-magnetic device with said main and selective switches, said multiple selection switch including a plurality of feeling pins corresponding in number to the number of manual 1y operable switches and constituting a plurality of individual selection switches, common locking means under the control of said printing mechanism for normally maintaining all of said last mentioned switches closed, and spring means for pressing said pins toward the printing plates passing over said multiple selection switch for opening said circuits when the pins are released from the locking means, the saddles on said printing plates cooperating with said pins to prevent the opening of the circuits.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the multiple selection switch is composed of a series of adjacently disposed single selection switches consisting of contact spring which bear against fixed contact pins in the circuits and are lifted from said contact pins by abutments on the feeling pins when the latter move toward said printing plates.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a casing for the multiple switch, and a shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, and actuated by said printing mechanism for releasing said locking means.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a coupling bolt for coupling the operating lever with the printing arm, said bolt being shiftable in the operating lever parallel to the common axis of rotation of the lever and the printing arm and adapted to engage a coupling aperture in the said printing arm, and means under the control of the electro-ma-gnetic device for controlling the movement of said coupling bolt.

5. A device as claimed. in claim 1, including a coupling bolt for coupling the operating lever with the printing arm, said bolt being shiftable in the operating lever parallel to the common axis of rotation of the lever and the printing arm and adapted to engage a coupling aperture in the said printing arm, means under the control of the electro-magnetic device for controlling the movement of said coupling bolt, and means also under the control of the electro-magnetic device for temporarily maintaining the last mentioned means inoperative upon each return movement of the operating lever.

JOSEPH KRELL. 

